
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 17, 1993                   TAG: 9308170025
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CITY MARKET TO GET ANOTHER BRIGHT SPOT

Owners of a long-vacant building on Roanoke's City Market on Monday announced plans for a renovation to house a Chinese restaurant and four apartments.

Relish Realty Co. said it has started work on the former Wright Furniture Co. building at 118 Campbell Ave S.E. The project is to be ready for occupancy in September. The renovations will cost $200,000. The company bought the building about three years ago for $285,000.

Principals of Relish Realty are Roland "Spanky" Macher; Richard Macher; and their mother, Shakie Macher, the family that operates the Macado's and Spanky's restaurant chains.

Mr. Su's restaurant will move from Kirk Avenue into about 2,000 square feet of the first floor of the Wright Building. Spanky Macher said another 1,800 square feet of first-floor space on the east side of the building is still for rent.

The second floor will include two one-bedroom apartments renting for $350 a month and two two-bedroom apartments renting for $450 monthly. Macher said the apartments should appeal to people with annual incomes of $15,000 to $30,000.

Thirty parking spaces are available at the rear, where an annex to Wright Furniture once stood.

Macher said the project had help from the city of Roanoke and Downtown Roanoke Inc. The city gave a grant of $5,000 to help restore the facade to its original condition with cornices and a transom. The original tin ceilings will be restored inside. Through Downtown Roanoke Inc., Relish Realty borrowed $50,000 from community block grant money.

by CNB